Red Cross Chief Calls for Improvement of Horrible Humanitarian Conditions in Gaza Strip

JAKARTA - The head of the international Red Cross on Friday called on the world to increase efforts to alleviate human suffering in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, by taking advantage of the momentum of the first phase of the ceasefire.

The ceasefire mediated by Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Turkey, which aims to stop the fighting between Israel and Hamas triggered by the group's attack in October 2023, has been in place for more than three months, although both sides have accused each other of repeated violations.

In early January, Washington announced that the ceasefire had entered a second phase, which was intended to end the war definitively.

"Countries must use the momentum generated by the first phase of the agreement between Israel and Hamas to immediately improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza," said the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric, in a statement, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (30/1).

"Over the past 15 weeks, the ICRC has worked with Israel, Hamas and the ceasefire mediators to help bring hostages, prisoners and the bodies of the dead back to their families," Spoljaric said.

The body of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, was returned earlier this week.

"This action allows families to reunite with their loved ones and mourn their loss. However, this work, however difficult it may be, shows the irreplaceable role of humanitarian measures in the long journey towards peace," Spoljaric explained.

"The international community must now seize every opportunity to increase efforts to alleviate suffering in Gaza," he said.

Spoljaric said this included easing Israel's entry restrictions on so-called dual-use materials and equipment, such as water pipes and generators, to restore basic infrastructure.

"Many people in Gaza are still living in ruins without basic services, struggling to stay warm in the midst of harsh winter conditions," said the ICRC chief.

"Thousands of families continue to wait for news about their loved ones. Hospitals, homes, schools, and water systems need to be repaired, and unexploded ammunition must be cleared," he said.

Most of the population in the Gaza Strip, a territory of more than two million people, has been displaced, with many living in tents with little or no sanitation amid harsh winter weather.

"All countries and parties involved in the conflict have a responsibility to ensure that the limits and protections enshrined in international humanitarian law are upheld," Spoljaric said.

"This is essential to save lives, restore human dignity, and lay the foundation on which lasting peace can be built," he concluded.